2005 Diversity Summit2005 Diversity Summit

When: October 14-15, 2005Where: Madame Walker Theatre and Indiana University School of Law - Indianapolis

Overview

The Indiana Supreme Court Commission on Race and Gender Fairness was proud to host the 2005 Diversity Summit for attorneys, judges, law enforcement officials and other individuals interested in diversity issues affecting Indiana's judicial system.

As the commission moves to the implementation of the study's recommendations, the goals of the Diversity Summit were to:

promote an understanding and awareness that inclusiveness and diversity are valued in the legal profession;

emphasize that fairness and understanding of gender, race, and ethnicity issues are required in the justice system;

continue efforts to encourage diversity in the legal, judicial, and law enforcement professions in order to utilize the talents and experiences of various segments of society as well as to counter perceptions of bias that undermine confidence in the legal system.

Summit Resources

Keynote Speaker

Long-time civil rights activist and entertainer Harry Belafonte spoke on October 15, 2005, from 12:45 to 1:45 p.m. at the Madame Walker Theatre for Diversity Summit 2005, hosted by the Indiana Supreme Court Commission on Race and Gender Fairness.

Diversity Summit 2005 sought to unite citizens, lawyers, judges and public safety officers, promoting an understanding and awareness that inclusiveness and diversity are valued in the legal profession and emphasizing that fairness and understanding of gender, race, and ethnicity issues are required in the justice system. Topics covered included prosecutorial discretion, jury trends, recruiting and retaining minority law enforcement officers, improving diversity in legal education, legal issues in the international community, the business case for diversity, juvenile ethnic gangs, social consciousness issues regarding sexual orientation, and urban vs. rural sentencing.

The Commission on Race and Gender Fairness was proud to present Harry Belafonte as the keynote speaker for this event as he has dedicated his life to uniting people for causes, even if those causes were considered controversial. This dedication goes back to the civil rights movement when he united cultural elements behind the marches in Selma and Montgomery, Alabama, as well as the Freedom March in Washington, D.C. in 1963.

Learn about Indiana's Court System

The Indiana Constitution divides state government into three branches: the Legislative, the Executive and the Judicial. The Constitution provides that the Judicial power of the State is vested in a Supreme Court, a Court of Appeals, Circuit Courts and such other courts as the General Assembly may establish. Read More »

Business Hours & Holidays

Appellate Courts and offices are open Monday - Friday, 8:30am to 4:30pm.